Shards
by Vicky-V
Summary: [Nakamaship] Clinging to what they have left. Set after the events of chapter 333 episode 236. Spoilers for Water 7.


**Pairing:** Nakamaship (LuffyxZoroxNamixSanjixChopper)  
**Rating:** G  
**Warning:** Set after chapter 333/episode 236. Spoilers for Water 7.  
**Word count:** 967  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in connection with the characters used in this fanfiction.

**Shards**

They had paid for three rooms. They only used one.

That wasn't the way it had been planned at first. When they had first walked up to the reception desk of the hotel, (and received a raised eyebrow from the receptionist at Luffy, still blood splattered and solemn, and Chopper in his huge human form), Nami had quickly negotiated down the price of three hotel bedrooms. Luffy and Zoro would take one, Sanji and Chopper another and Nami would take the third by herself, being the only female of the party.

Dinner had been unpleasant. The food itself had been wonderful and Sanji had even been moved to go into the kitchen and ask for the recipe for the meatballs that Nami had loved so much. What made it unpleasant was that it just wasn't the same. It was a higher life than they were used to, with white table clothes, pleasant music and many different knives and forks on either side of their plates. But it wasn't home. There were a few attempts to break the silence between them; talk of the weather, comments on the food and any other idle thing that might come to mind. But conversation flickered and died as soon as it had begun. So in the end they ate without saying a thing. They were all in silent agreement that the rowdy conversation, the pile of frying pans and cutlery waiting in the sink and the arguments that arose when Luffy's extending fingers would stray beyond his own plate was much preferred. With all their nakama.

They had retired to their rooms straight afterwards and there they had all stayed for a while. They lay flat on their backs on top of the freshly washed sheets and stared silently at the cream ceilings. Neither looked out the windows. The shadows and darkness slowly growing over them were signal enough of night falling.

Sleep did not come. Their eyes continued to stare at the ceilings of the dark rooms. Inside the minds of the remaining Straw Hats, thoughts whirled round and round with all the force of the strongest hurricanes. Life on the sea was uncertain, that was the only sure thing about it. But it had definitely been one of the strangest and unsettling days that they, as a group, had experienced. The joyful discovery of the wondrous place of Water 7 had quickly been overshadowed by the horrific news of Merry. By the troublesome conflict with the Franky family. By the mysterious disappearance of Robin. By the awful fight between Luffy and Usopp that had resulted in the loss of yet another member of their beloved nakama.

So much had happened. The thought that twenty four hours ago they had been so happy seemed unreal.

Nami, Sanji and Chopper all moved at once. All three rising from where they lay, unable to sleep. Unable to sort their thoughts. Unable to be separated from anyone else, even if it was by a hotel wall.

They all came out of their rooms at the same time, each going towards the middle room of the three that they had paid for. With a small smile, Sanji stood aside and gestured for Nami to go in first. She returned the smile along with a small nod of gratitude. Opening the door, they entered the dark room.

The two beds inside had been pushed together, almost as though Luffy had expected this. He lay there beside Zoro, the pair of them with eyes staring upwards. Their captain was still so serious, so solemn. His wounds had been cleaned and dressed by Chopper before dinner but his wide eyes still bore a look of great pain. In a way, the rest of the Straw Hats feared it, but they also knew that they had no reason to be afraid of any harm.

Luffy was still as the three of them approached. When he did move, it was to reach down to lift Chopper up and hold the little reindeer close to his chest. He moved, resting his lanky body over Zoro's to make room for the others. The swordsman shifted and grunted but made no protest.

Nami slid next to them, so close that her nose was almost pressing right into Zoro's armpit. Normally she might complain until he either gave in (should Sanji join the argument) or Nami went to get some deodorant herself. But nothing was normal anymore. In a strange way, she found the musky smell comforting.

Sanji was the last to join them, lying beside Nami's slightly curled form. Close enough so that they all knew he was there, but keeping a respectable distance. That was until Nami reached out and pulled him close. On a normal day he would almost certainly become a gooey pool of Nami-swan this and Nami-swan that. But it wasn't a normal day, so he reached an arm over, resting it on Nami's shoulder and settling his hand down on the fur of Chopper's chest.

Then Luffy extended his arms, snaking one underneath Zoro's neck and then over his shoulder and Chopper. The other went round Sanji, then Nami and then that hand came to rest on the other, half an inch or so above where the cook's was on Chopper's chest.

Neither of them really slept that night, napping briefly for ten minutes at a time at best. Not a word was spoken either, because they all knew what the other was thinking. All were trying to make sense of the events of the day, and all trying desperately to snatch at a solution that would make everything better. But there was none.

So they lay there. Each one thinking what the other was. Each one knowing that they had to remain united more than ever.

_**END**_


End file.
